Overview Snoqualmie-Skykomish Watershed
King County has relatively detailed information about habitat and major river flood hazard reduction needs in the Snoqualmie-Skykomish Watershed.
The Snoqualmie-Skykomish Watershed sustains diverse populations of wild salmon and water quality in the region. The watershed supports wild runs of coho, chinook, pink, chum and steelhead salmon. In the 1980's, the Snohomish watershed (including the Snoqualmie and Skykomish watersheds) supported one third of the wild coho entering Puget Sound on an annual basis.
Habitat in the Snoqualmie-Skykomish watershed has been impacted by flood control practices, road building, development, agriculture and forest practices. In many cases, levees and roads have cut off access to side channels and tributaries that provide critical rearing and spawning habitat. Approximately 60% of the banks of the Snoqualmie and Snohomish Rivers have no riparian vegetation other than grass or have a riparian buffer that is only one tree wide. In the Snohomish basin as a whole, almost 30% of the floodplain tributaries have been channelized.
For current plans, projects and reports, please see the Snoqualmie-Skykomish Watershed page.